For more transport chat, join our popular Facebook group, Londonist Roundel Ramblings.
Heathrow Express passengers got a rosy surprise this morning (21 May), when one of its carriages was decked out with flowers.
More than 3,000 flowers were installed in the carriage, including 1,850 hydrangeas, 220 wisterias and 1,000 stems of fresh sea lavender.
The beautiful display, lining the walls and luggage racks of the carriage, marks the start of the Chelsea Flower Show. Installed by London florist Jamie Aston Flowers, it uses a mix of real and artificial blooms. Several months in the planning, it took eight people four hours to install.
A Heathrow Express spokesperson said:
The duration of our transfer service is just 15 minutes so we wanted to make an instant impression on customers departing from and arriving in the UK. The Chelsea Flower Show is one of the biggest events of the year but not everyone gets the chance to experience it so we wanted to give travellers a little taster.
And we’re delighted to say the reaction of customers has been blooming marvellous.
Jamie Aston said:
We’ve created all manner of flower displays but have never had the chance to create one on board a train.
We wanted to create something which would bring a smile to passengers’ faces and help them to unwind ahead or following their flight.
Around 18,000 passengers are expected to use the Heathrow Express today — so if you want a snap of the flowery carriage, make sure you're one of them. The flower express installation is in circulation until tomorrow (22 May). For a chance to win two tickets to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show on Saturday 25 May, share your snaps of the flower carriage on Twitter or Instagram tagging in @Heathrowexpress and using #FlowerExpress.
